Reaction vacuum propeller



F. TRAVNICEK ALSO KNOWN As F. GRINESS REACTION VACUUM PROPELLER 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed June 5 1925 j Sept. 27, 1927. 4 1,643,862

F. TRAVNICEK ALSO KNOWN AS F. GRINESS r REACTION VACUUM PROPELLER Filed June 5. 1925 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 PRESSURE 1 OF ATMOSPHERE VACUUM REACTION OF STEAM OR GAS/$415 DISCHARGE!) Sept. 27, 1927. y 1,643,862

4F. TRAVNICEK ALSO KNOWN AS F. GRIN ESS REACTION VACUUM 'PROPELLER Filed June 5, 1925 5 Sheets-Sheet 3,

Patented Sept. 27, 1927.

UNITED STATES PATENT oFFicE.

FRANK TRAVNICEK, ALSO KNOVJN AS FRANK GRINESS, OF EAST ST. LOUIS, ILLINOIS.

REACTION VACUUM PROPELLER.

Application filed June 3, 1925. Serial No. 34,619.

This invention is an improvement on the vacuum propeller set forth in my applica tion Serial No. 727,192, filed July 21, 1924.

The principle of the present invention is that of modifying the vacuum in the bucketlike blades of the propeller by discharging compressedair, exhaust gases from an internal combustion engine, or jetting a fluid under pressure into the base path of the buckets at such velocity as will displace the air which has been expelled from the buckets or bladesand due to which air explusion the vacuum effect is produced by the rotation of the propeller.

The utilizationof this principle results in the reaction of the compressed air or gases and the reaction of the turning efiect of the propeller being in the same direction as that of the suction on the buckets, which results in a propelling action.

The shape of the buckets of the propeller may be varied according to requirements of the resistances of the element, air or water, in which the propeller is designed to operate. V V

The modification of the vacuum is under the control of valve mechanism which may be of any kind adapted to serve the purpose.

WVhile I have illustrated rotary valves for' this purpose, it will be obvious that poppet valves, or other valve gear, operated by a suitable cam shaft could be substitutedfor the gear operation of rotary valves which is illustrated and described. Similarly,-while the buckets are shown as being of box-like form, they may be of cone shape.

The invention, as illustrated, is more particularly adapted for use for the propulsion of boats or ships in water but the blades or buckets'may be constructed and arranged to adapt the propeller for use on aeroplanes, hydroplanes, and other flying machines.

The valve mechanism is timed so that the vacuum is'produced, in a two-bucket, small diameter, rapidly revolving propeller, during three-quarters of a revolution for a given bucket and modified or destroyed for the remaining one-quarter revolution of said buckets so that the buckets will produce the highest vacuum when, at the same point of their revolution and, on the other hand, the remaining bucket will have its vacuum modified or destroyed always when traveling through a certain part of its revolution. For a propeller of larger size, the steam or gas will issue, and the vacuum will be modihed, during one-half of each revolution.

As explained in my aforesaid application, I

the vacuum effect is derived from the rotation of the propeller buckets or blades, the circumferential velocity causing the air to be expelled from the buckets to a lesser or greater extent according to the number of revolutions per minute, thehigher the peripheral speed per second, the higher the percentage of vacuum created. Asthe vacuum will exist in both of the buckets, it becomes necessary to modify or destroy the vacuum in one bucket so that the reaction ofthe turning effect and the vacuum suction will be in the same direction. I

This is accomplished, as previously set forth, by admitting compressed air or exhaust gases into the base path of the buckets, under timed control by valve mechanism.

My invention is not restricted to the employment of a pair of buckets as more than two buckets may be employed.

The embodiments of the invention which are hereinafter described andshown in the accompanying drawings are illustrative of the invention but are not in limitation of the scope thereof. A

In the accompanying drawings:

Figure 1 is a plan View, parts beingin section, illustrating one embodiment ofthe invention. 1

Fig. 2 is a front elevation.

Fig. 3 is a front elevation of a modification, parts being broken away;

Fig. 4 is an end view thereof, certain parts being broken away;

Fig. 5 is a plan view of a propeller having buckets of modified form Fig. 6 is a section on the line 66, Fig. 5, and

Fig. 'Tis a section on line 77, Fig. 5.

Referring first to Figures 1 to 4 inclusive, the buckets or propeller blades 1 are of the vacuum type, being of the generalconstruction disclosed in my aforesaid application except that they are not open on one side.

curved, those of one blade or bucket curving the same as those-=:oii the? other Y blade or Y bucket.

The buckets 1 may be mounted for rota-v tion by a connecting member independent of the tubular member or pipe which supplies the compressed air, exhaustcgases or other fluid under pressure to the buckets and, for the purpose of bracing and strengthen ing, it maybe found advantageous to connect-the buoketsbyadditional means but I have onlyillustrated suitably rigid'tubular mounting for-thebuckets and as a conduit for-supplying the vacuum-destroying compressed-airor other iiuid-n'iedium to the buckets. The-pipe or tubular connection?) isprovided' with-nozzles 7 Whichare arranged to direct the compressed air-or othermedium outward-ly'.frointhe open ends or we ets'li-into the base paths of said bucketsior the 'purposeoi modifying'or destroying the vacuum.

My; preferred method of controlling the discharge of compressed air or exhaust gases through the, pipesfi comprises rotary ;valves 8, Q; whose stems have a respectively m-eshlng with As p1n1on 12 which is carried by a fixed support or bracket 13,

r I i wheels the pinion itsel-i being fast on said bracket" so that it cann'ot turn; A controliing arrangement of-the characterset forth will causeopenmg and closmg 01" the valves 8,

9, asthe buckets ,1 and the piper e ancdlvalresc revolve, because the gear .Wheels 10, ll,'will be turned'byrolling,on the fixed pinion 12'.

The rotary'valves 8, 9,- Will be so arranged, and timed by the gears, that the compressed air or exhaust gases from aninternal combustioirengine entering through teed pipe 14Which communicates With pipe 6, Will have access to the, buckets 1 during one- 7 quarter of a complete revolution of the given bucket and "Will be cut olifi'rom a given v gases must be such that itWill' overcome. the

air pressure and Will displace the air from the buckets.

Aspreviouslyset forth, While the buckets l are of thegeneral construction disclosed in my aforesaid application, their tops are not cutout and consequently the vacuum resistance is entirely in the op i ositeldirection to the driving effort or eii'ect' and the vacuum suction acts in a line, square to the central axis.

or other thing machine the propellelf ,-is.-;70.

modified to eli ect the pressure or reaction in a I'athRlLllIBCtlOnL V In Figs, 3 and 4 I have illustrated an embodiment of the invent-ion in a difierent forin,

While utilizing the principle thereof. In 7:, this embodiment the propeller operates'some- What on. the principle of a reaction turbine although the steam issues from one-bucket; While the other bucket iscrea-ting-a vacuum, I the resulting reaction in each instance, be-- "e21 ing inzthe same direction. This embodiment is not avell adaptedator use-in ater-but-zis adapted for-use. in air for anyv-ehiole ems ploying an air-propeller. a

The propeller of saidtfigures is shown-conventionally mounted in suitable standards=15 and has a rotor 16 provided with bucketsl'i, 18, vvhich-are open at their ends 19 and grad ually decrease in size to points :Wl1E-I'' rtheir inlets 20 are-located; A pipe-or con'duit 21 communicates with r the inlets --20-' -and is-con= J l 23, whese stems'earn gears 24, 25, I which mesh with i a =pinion -26p The pinion '26 lSvfZLSbso that -itcannot-turn.

Steam, as Well as compressed air; may lieutilized as, the controlling medium and it is admitted under suitable control-- at 27 from which it flows to the pipe '21. The valves22 93, control, the flow :of stearnto the inlets :20 I

of the bucks s 17 and 18 in the manner previ ouslydescribed. I

The vacuum is created by "virtue of the velocity of the buckets, Which ca-uses aexpansionot the air insideiofthemu Ifha-ve iound that"if :thebucketsware of w Y Y conical shape,, higher vacuum may cbe, ob-

tained than possible Witha bucket of cylin drical, untapere'd shape.

The principle involved in the embodiments i of Figs l and-2 andthatof Figs. 3' and 4 :11

is the same. Only one side-oi the complete propeller is at-workat a givenitimeythe other side minimizing-the resistance'asfmuch as possible. This is the reason for. destroy.

ingor modifying the vacuum; as previouslyexplained.-

In the propeller of- Figs; 5, 6 and? in-- clusive, the shank 28 carriesbuckets '29 which may be canted, or set angularly in re lation to each other. The tops-ofthe buckets are open but their bottoms30, WlliCll are somewhat curved, are I closed. The sides-31 converge toa point or knife edge 32. The action 1S substantially the same as-inthe= case of the buckets of my pending applicas tion, Serial No. 7273192;

I claim:

1. In a reaction vacuum'propeller the combination of vacuum producing buckets, or

blades, having open parts, means of mount 3 ing said buckets for rotation, and means for alternately modifying the'vacuum produced by said buckets in timed relation with the forward movement of an aeroplane or other vehicle when said propellers are rotating in a vertical plane parallel with the major axis of said aeroplane or other vehicle.

2. In a reaction vacuum propeller the combination of vacuum producing buckets, or blades, having open parts, means for alternately modifying the vacuum produced by said buckets in timed relation with the forward movement of an aeroplane or other vehicle when said propellers are rotating in a vertical plane parallel with the major axis of said aeroplane or other vehicle, means for mounting said buckets for rotation, and

means for delivering a fluid, under pressure, to sald buckets at predetermined, alternate intervals for the purpose of modifying the vacuum produced by said buckets.

3, In a reaction vacuum propeller the combination of vacuum producing buckets, or blades, having open parts, means for alternately modifying the vacuum produced by said buckets in timed relation with the forward movement of an aeroplane or other Vehicle when said propellers are rotating in a vertical plane parallel with the major axis of said aeroplane or other vehicle, means for mounting said buckets for rotation, means for delivering a fluid, under pressure, to said buckets at predetermined, alternate intervals for the purpose of modifying the vacuum produced by said buckets, conduits leading from a centrally located source of supply to said buckets, said conduits being adapted to be alternately opened and closed by suitable valve mechanisms, and means for rotating said buckets at velocities sufficient to create a vacuum. V

In testimony whereof I atfix my signature.

FRANK TRAVNICEK, Also known as Frank Gri ness. 

